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The 10 Best Budget-Friendly Casting Reels For Bass Fishermen
Today, we’re talking casting reels. With the weather getting colder, and Christmas right around the corner, now’s the time to talk some gear, and if you’re lucky… buy some new gear. A number of outfitters are hosting sales right now, including Tackle Warehouse where our affiliate program is set up, and right now they’re in the middle of their 12 Days of Christmas promo. I recently wrote up a full gear guide on budget-friendly bass rods, and then followed it […] The post The 10 Best Budget-Friendly Casting Reels For Bass Fishermen first appeared on Whiskey Riff.
Today, we’re talking casting reels.
With the weather getting colder, and Christmas right around the corner, now’s the time to talk some gear, and if you’re lucky… buy some new gear. A number of outfitters are hosting sales right now, including Tackle Warehouse where our affiliate program is set up, and right now they’re in the middle of their 12 Days of Christmas promo.
I recently wrote up a full gear guide on budget-friendly bass rods, and then followed it up with a blog on budget-friendly spinning reels to pair with them. But today, we’re talking casting reels. As always, all of the reels listed here are ones that I either personally own and use regularly, have owned, or have some experience catching fish with, and I’ll just say right now that many of these are reels that I use every single day… affordable, budget friendly reels that are proven fish-catchers.
So without further ado, let’s get to it.
The casting reel is a different beast than the spinning reel… a little more technique involved, a little more difficult to use, but one you get the hang of it, you’ll never want to put it down. Efficient, powerful, accurate, you can’t tell me you’d rather have a spinning reel in your hand, I just won’t believe. Flipping into some heavy cover, dragging a frog through some duckweed or some lily pads… I think that’s the most fun you can have fishing, and you’re gonna need a baitcaster to do it.
Here’s a few of my favorite casting reels that come in right around $100 bucks, or in some cases, a little bit higher. Casting reels generally cost a little more than spinning reels so right around $100 bucks is as low as it gets.
Here’s a few that I love from a handful of different brands:
KastKing
KastKing partnered with pro bass legend, Skeet Reese, in early 2024 on a new line of reels, to go with Reese Fishing’s line of rods, and the reels are pretty damn good. MLF angler Alton Jones Jr. uses them, I’ve seen MLF Bass Pro Series champ, Jacob Wheeler, trying them out in some of his recent videos, plenty more top pros… but for $100 bucks, it’s a great option.
KastKing Skeet Reese Icon – $99.99
Lew’s
Lew’s is a great place to start when you get into the baitcaster world, and their Speed Spool is one of the best budget casting reels on the planet. It was the very first casting reel I ever owned and I still use it to this day. Smooth, durable, easy to dial in… they recently released the Speed Spool RX, but you can get the Gen 3 on sale for right around $110… a bargain for any beginner, or someone who wants to add another reel to the lineup without breaking the bank.
Lew’s Speed Spool Gen 3 – $111.99
Abu Garcia
Abu Garcia is a staple in the bass industry with rods and reels at every price point. Whether you’re a beginner or a professional tournament angler, Abu Garcia has a reel to get the job done. I probably have about 5 or 6 different Abu reels across all levels of the pricing spectrum, and I promise you, you don’t have to spend $300 to get a really good real from them. The Max4 Pro is linked and on sale, but the new Max5 Pro should be available on Tackle Warehouse SOON.
Daiwa
Daiwa makes some of the best fishing reels in the world. Full stop. Personally, the Tatula Series is my bread and butter, but starting at $150 and going up, it is a little beyond the budget target that we’re trying to achieve in this particular gear guide. That being said, they have some phenomenal options for a bargain including the workhorse Fuego, and the new Aird 80. If you’ve ever used their Aird X rod line, it’s shockingly affordable for a quality rod, and now, we have the reel to go along with it.
Shimano
It’s hard to argue that the Shimano SLX isn’t one of the best bang for your buck reels in all of bass fishing. Ask anyone who has ever held one and they swear by them. Whether you’re a weekend warrior, or looking to do some serious tournament fishing, it’s tough to go wrong with a handful of these on your front deck. And if you want to go just a little bit cheaper, the Caius is a great option too.
Seviin
If you’re familiar with St. Croix rods, you know they’re some of the best in the business. But they’re rod builders, not reel builders…. until now. Owned by the same company that owns St. Croix, the Wisconsin-based Seviin Reels stepped onto the scene in 2023 and have already made some noise in the industry… and for good reason. They’re LEGIT. The GF is their cheapest model, and probably at the top of the line for what I would consider to be a budget casting reel, but they fish like a DREAM.
*This post contains links through the Tackle Warehouse Affiliate Program. While all products are independently selected by our expert Riff Outdoors team, if you use these links to make a purchase, we may earn a commission.
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